December 4, 2007

Dear Brethren,

At the start of November I took a team back up the Moa River. The logistics for this trip were a bit hairy. Two days before the beginning of the medical mission trip we still had not found a boat to rent for the equipment and support team. I had doctors and dentists scheduled to arrive, so we could not postpone our departure while waiting on the right kind of boat. The day before our deadline, Missionary Hudson and I were on our motorcycles, running all over the town of Mancio Lima following up leads. At the last minute, the Lord opened a door and we found the right boat.

The medical team arrived the same afternoon and we got away the next day, on schedule. Hudson and I took our aluminum boats to carry the doctors and dentists. Since the support team (big slow boat) had left the day before, it worked out that we arrived at the mountains just five minutes before the equipment, supplies, etc. Perfect!

We held services at night and clinics during the day. The three locations were Serra do Moa (mountains), Republica (Nukini Indian reservation), and the village of Sao Salvador. The river was low, but we were still able to get through without too much trouble. Hundreds of folks got their teeth repaired. We have all the necessary equipment to do all kinds of fillings. Teeth are only pulled if there is no way to save them. At each location we have to set up a generator and gas-operated compressor to run all the drills and electronic equipment. It is a lot of work, but is a service that only we provide in these remote locations. As a result, many people hear the gospel and through a Christian team see Christ in action.

Just three days after arriving from the medical mission trip on the Moa River, I took off for the upper Jurua River. (Beverly has not been too happy with me of late). There was more water in the river by that time, so I was able to go in my bigger boat with a 60HP Mercury outboard. Hudson and wife and one other worker went with me. Our first stop was Thaumaturge, 300 km up river. We held a three-day weekend meeting at our congregation there. These were the first services in the brand new brick building.

They put up this building with little help from the mother church, First Baptist of Cruzeiro do Sul. We used the same floor plan and facade on all of our buildings now so that people can instantly identify it as work of First Baptist. The building is 3,400 square feet. They have seating for 420. The building was full every night. On the last night, which was our dedication, we had way over 500 inside! There were over 100 outside who could not get in. I counted these 100 when I stepped outside during the closing prayer. No telling how many people were outside at the beginning of the service! We had four professions of faith. On Sunday morning I baptized fourteen. The baptism was at the river, since they have not been able to build their baptistry yet.

On Sunday morning we had another first. They had been trying for the last few months to reach 150 in Sunday School. They had reached 149 more than once. Well, on the first Sunday in the new building, we had 245!

Our missionary at Thaumaturge was saved and trained at First Baptist Church. What a difference that makes. Some of our other full-time missionaries were saved and brought up in other churches. It takes forever to try to implant a new mission vision and methodology in these "hand-me-downs". We appreciate them all, but it sure is much less painful and more fruitful to train and send our own people.

Well. I see that this letter is already longer than it is supposed to be. That means you will have to wait until next month to hear about all the other great things that happened on this trip. A little suspense never hurt anybody. There is much more good news to report, so hang in there and I will finish in the next letter.

Please join Beverly and me as we pray for a four-wheel drive vehicle. The rainy season has started and getting boats in and out of the river is a huge challenge. Our town of eighty thousand still does not have a boat ramp. Beverly and I have been praying for over three years for this vehicle. OUr two-wheel drive pickup is now over nine years old. You may find this hard to believe, but ANY four-wheel drive jeep type or pickup truck in Brazil costs at least $50,000.00! We realize that it will take a miracle, but that is what we are praying for. Please join us in prayer.

Thanks to all of you who pray for us, support us financially, send care packages, and letters. God bless.

In Christ,

Mike Creiglow